Definition
Natural resource depletion means the use of natural resources above the sustainable level of the available stock. These natural resources can be renewable or non-renewable. In agriculture, depletion can be erosion, intensive cropping, or monoculture. Another important depletion issue is fresh water supply. In many areas it is based on aquifiers which are withdrawn faster than they renew[1] . In terms of non-renewable resources such as oil, the depletion is defined as the amount extracted from the available stock[2] .
Natural resource depletion can be avoided by adopting measures of sustainable consumption and thus improve food system resiliance, which refers to various actions and policies taken in the sustainable consumption-production framework[3] . Different fair trade and organic labels are initiatives towards sustainable consumption as well as national and international treaties that govern fishing in general and fishing of endangered fish species[4] .
Critique
The definiton of depletion can always be discussed and objective estimation of the sustainable usage of a natural resource might be difficult to define. It can also be discussed whether the use of certain resource is necessary or if the consumption could be directed to other, more sustainable alternatives (i.e. from red meat to vegetables). Moreover, it can be discussed whether the depletion is a result of overpopulation or the unsustainable habits of people[5] .
Connection to food
Natural resource depletion is a severe problem for food production and security and touches the whole supply chain. This is partly due to monocultural agriculture policies[6] , pollution of fresh water resources such as aquifiers, and urbanization. Due to these problems it will be a challenge to maintain and expand the current supply and production in order to feed the increasing population across the globe[7] .
Links to other SDGs
The concept relates to several UN Sustainable Development Goals[8] . If natural resource depletion can be avoided, it will positively affect food security and most likely helps to make agriculture more sustainable (SDG 2). Another important issue is to ensure sustainable and responsible usage of the fresh water resources (SDG 6). Food security can also be improved by sustainably using marine resources (such as fishes) and by "sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land drgradation and halt biodiversity loss"[9] . Especially in western and developed countries more sustainable habits regarding food (i.e.increasing the use of vegetables instead of red meat) would have a great impact to resource usage.
Organizational illustrations around concept
Widely discussed natural resource depletion issue in Ontario, Canada is the groundwater extraction of Nestle Canada and its subsidiary Nestle Waters Canada. It extracts up to 20 million liters water from local aquifiers to bottle it. This allowed even in the middle of the drought risking the water supply for local municipalities.[10] Further debate raised in fall 2016 when Nestle managed to buy a well the nearby township wanted to secure the supply of drinking water for the growing community.
Example from Finland
Almost every winter it is discussed whether it's more sustainable to eat domestic, greenhouse-grown tomatoes (and other vegetables) than imported ones. A lot of tomatoes are imported to Finland from Spain. Based on the study carried out by MTT Agrifood Research Finland, the carbon dioxide emissions are lower to imported tomatoes compared to domestic grown ones even if the emissions caused by transportation are added to Spanish tomatoes[11] . Another question is, whether we should eat tomatoes in Finland during the winter at all, as both options result higher emissions than normal summer growing.
^ Barnett, H. & Morse, C. (2013). Scarcity and Growth: The Economics of Natural Resource Availability. New York, NY: Routledge
^United Nations (1997). Glossary of Environment Statistics, Studies in Methods, Series F, No. 67. New York, NY: United Nations
^ Barling, David, and Jessica Duncan. "The dynamics of the contemporary governance of the world’s food supply and the challenges of policy redirection." Food Security 7.2 (2015): 415-424.
^ Magdoff, F. (2013). Global resource depletion. Is population the problem?. Monthly Review, Vol. 64, Issue 08 (January)
^ Gunderson, L. (2000). Ecological resilience - in theory and application. Annual review of ecology and systematics, 31(1), 425-439.
International Panel of Climate Change
^ Barling, David, and Jessica Duncan. "The dynamics of the contemporary governance of the world’s food supply and the challenges of policy redirection." Food Security 7.2 (2015): 415-424.
^ Leslie, K. (2016). Nestle continues to extract water from Ontario town despite drought: activists, The Globe and Mail.
ttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/nestle-continues-to-extract-water-from-ontario-town-despite-severe-drought-activists/article31480345/ (accessed 1.2.2017)
Natural resource depletion means the use of natural resources above the sustainable level of the available stock. These natural resources can be renewable or non-renewable. In agriculture, depletion can be erosion, intensive cropping, or monoculture. Another important depletion issue is fresh water supply. In many areas it is based on aquifiers which are withdrawn faster than they renew[1] . In terms of non-renewable resources such as oil, the depletion is defined as the amount extracted from the available stock[2] .
Natural resource depletion can be avoided by adopting measures of sustainable consumption and thus improve food system resiliance, which refers to various actions and policies taken in the sustainable consumption-production framework[3] . Different fair trade and organic labels are initiatives towards sustainable consumption as well as national and international treaties that govern fishing in general and fishing of endangered fish species[4] .
Critique
The definiton of depletion can always be discussed and objective estimation of the sustainable usage of a natural resource might be difficult to define. It can also be discussed whether the use of certain resource is necessary or if the consumption could be directed to other, more sustainable alternatives (i.e. from red meat to vegetables). Moreover, it can be discussed whether the depletion is a result of overpopulation or the unsustainable habits of people[5] .
Connection to food
Natural resource depletion is a severe problem for food production and security and touches the whole supply chain. This is partly due to monocultural agriculture policies[6] , pollution of fresh water resources such as aquifiers, and urbanization. Due to these problems it will be a challenge to maintain and expand the current supply and production in order to feed the increasing population across the globe[7] .
Links to other SDGs
The concept relates to several UN Sustainable Development Goals[8] . If natural resource depletion can be avoided, it will positively affect food security and most likely helps to make agriculture more sustainable (SDG 2). Another important issue is to ensure sustainable and responsible usage of the fresh water resources (SDG 6). Food security can also be improved by sustainably using marine resources (such as fishes) and by "sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land drgradation and halt biodiversity loss"[9] . Especially in western and developed countries more sustainable habits regarding food (i.e.increasing the use of vegetables instead of red meat) would have a great impact to resource usage.
Organizational illustrations around concept
Widely discussed natural resource depletion issue in Ontario, Canada is the groundwater extraction of Nestle Canada and its subsidiary Nestle Waters Canada. It extracts up to 20 million liters water from local aquifiers to bottle it. This allowed even in the middle of the drought risking the water supply for local municipalities.[10] Further debate raised in fall 2016 when Nestle managed to buy a well the nearby township wanted to secure the supply of drinking water for the growing community.
Example from Finland
Almost every winter it is discussed whether it's more sustainable to eat domestic, greenhouse-grown tomatoes (and other vegetables) than imported ones. A lot of tomatoes are imported to Finland from Spain. Based on the study carried out by MTT Agrifood Research Finland, the carbon dioxide emissions are lower to imported tomatoes compared to domestic grown ones even if the emissions caused by transportation are added to Spanish tomatoes[11] . Another question is, whether we should eat tomatoes in Finland during the winter at all, as both options result higher emissions than normal summer growing.
External links
Open source articles
Quiz
Quiz created by Olli T with GoConqr
International Panel of Climate Change
ttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/nestle-continues-to-extract-water-from-ontario-town-despite-severe-drought-activists/article31480345/ (accessed 1.2.2017)
http://www.mtt.fi/mttraportti/pdf/mttraportti83.pdf